Mirian Gom 
Australia has confirmed its first detection of the highly pathogenic H5 bird flu strain, marking the first time the virus has been recorded on the continent and completing its spread across every continent globally.
Announcing the development on Saturday, Australian Agriculture Minister Julie Collins said the virus was detected in a migratory brown skua found in remote Western Australia.
Laboratory confirmation was provided by Australia’s national science agency, while samples from a giant petrel discovered in the same region also returned a suspected positive result.
“Whilst disappointing, this is not unexpected, given the global spread of the H5 bird flu,” Collins told reporters.
Australia had previously remained the only continent free of the H5 strain, which has devastated poultry populations and wildlife in numerous countries.
The minister stressed that there is currently no evidence of mass bird deaths or infection among poultry flocks.
“I can confirm there is still no evidence of any mass mortalities at this time, nor is there any evidence of infection in any poultry,” she said
“This is something that has happened through migratory birds, and has happened by definition around the world, and this is why we are preparing for this,” Albanese said.
The H5 bird flu strain has caused severe outbreaks among poultry, wild birds and several mammal species globally. Wildlife experts warn that the virus could threaten Australia’s unique biodiversity, with nearly half of the country’s bird species and 83 per cent of mammals found nowhere else in the world.
The discovery comes days after scientists reported that the H5 strain had killed more than 13,000 elephant seal pups on the remote Heard and McDonald Islands in the sub-Antarctic region.
About the Author
Korede Abdullah 
Oluwatobi Adu 
Edino Chubiyo Cornelius